Hugely enjoyable concert of work by three great composers

WORKS from three great composers who sadly died in their thirties, and one who lived to be a grand old man of English music, formed Ilkley Chamber Orchestra’s delightful summer concert.

Symphony No 3 in D by Schubert was written during 1815 by the then 18-year-old composer. This symphony’s youthful exuberance infused the Ilkley Chamber Orchestra’s lively performance under the baton of John Anderson, the ensemble’s founder conductor.

We are perhaps more accustomed to hearing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, one of the earliest romantic concertos, played by symphonic forces, including a large body of strings.

To hear this much-loved work with virtuoso solo violinist Andy Long, backed by an orchestra of 30, with just 15 strings was a revelation; such was the clarity of instrumental textures. Andy’s richness of tone and his expansive phrasing soared above the individual voices of the orchestra rather than the usual dense backdrop.

This combination of shimmering solo violin lines and chamber orchestra was even more effective in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. No wonder ‘The Lark’ consistently tops polls as the nation’s favourite piece of classical music. RVW’s evocative and exquisitely scored pastoral whimsy was inspired by the Victorian poet George Meredith.

A hugely enjoyable concert ended Mozart’s Symphony No 39 in E Flat, the least performed of his last three great symphonies. The vociferous applause for Ilkley Chamber Orchestra’s performance, led by Sally Robinson and conducted by John Anderson, was richly deserved.